Caster attachment



April 15 1924.,

J. N. DERSCHUG CASTER ATTACHMENT Original Filed Jan. 31 1920 Patented Apr. 15, 1924.

Nrreo STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN N. DERSCHUG, or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, AssIeNoR TO SYRACUSE WASHING MACHINE CORPORATION, or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

CAS'I'ER ATTACHMENT.

Qriginal application filed January 31, 1920, Serial No. 355,515. Divided and this application filed July To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN N. DERSCHUG, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Caster Attachments, of which the following, taken" in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a caster attachment as shown in my pending application, Serial No. 355,515, filed January 31, 1920, clothes washing machines, of which the present application is a division.

Large numbers of machines of this character, and other apparatus, of more or less heavy superstructure are usually supported upon three or more legs having casters to enable the machine or apparatus to be moved along the floor from place to place, and

- double purpose of allowing the caster to be swivelled therein to turn freely about a vertical axis, without liability of displacement in case the machine is lifted from the floor, and also to serve as a foot for supporting the legs directly upon the floor when it is desired to omit the caster and allow the machine to be used asa stationary fixture.

The main object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a light, strong and durable caster attachment which may be easily and quickly attached to the leg of the machine, to form a direct support therefor, and in which the caster may be swivelled to turn about a vertical axis without liability of displacement therefrom, when the machine with the casters thereon is lifted from the Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the device will be brought out in the following description.

1n the drawings:

Figures 1, '2 and 3 are respectively a front 24, 1922. Serial No! 577,157.

elevation, a side elevation and a rear elevation of my improved caster attachment with the caster thereon, showing the adjacent portions of one of the legs of an apparatus such as a clothes washing machine, mounted on the attachment.

1 F gures and 5 are respectively a vertical sectional view and a horizontal sectional view taken respectively on line l4, Figure 1, and line 55, Figure 3.

As illustrated, the caster attachment forming the subject matter of my invention, is adapted to be used in connection with a straight, yertical leg A, of channeled steel, in which the channel -a faces inwardly, or toward the center of the machine, particularly when used in connection ,with a clothes washing machine shown in my pending application referred to, and consists of a cast metal bracket -1, having a channel 2, extending downwardly from its upper end but terminating a short distance above the lower end, to form opposite, .upright flanges 3-, and a horizontal ledge or flange 4 for engaging respectively the opposite upright sides and lower end of the leg That is, the lower end of the leg -A is seated in the channel 2, so that the upright flanges -3 serve to hold the bracket 1 and leg -A- against relative lateralmovement, while the horizontal flange 4, serves to support the leg and itsshare of the weight of the structure, which may be mounted upon the upper portion of the leg.

This bracket 1 is also provided with a vertical, elongated socket 5-, extending upwardly from the lower end thereof, and terminating a short distance'below the upper end so that the top wall of the socket may form a spherical end thrust bearing 6 'for the caster, as -7, said socket being parallel with the channel --2-, between said channel and the outer face of the bracket 1-, so as to leave ample stock entirely around the socket to assure strength and rigidity.

The caster '7-- consists of a U-shaped yoke -8-, having an upwardly extending spindle -9-, rigidly secured to the crossbar of the yoke, and journaled in the socket 5, the arms of the yoke'-8, being extended downwardly and laterally from the spindle 9-, to receive and support between them a roller 10-. r

The spindle 9- is cylindrical and of uniform diameter throughout the greater portion of its length, and has its upper end provided with a spherical portion 11-, adapted ,to engage the spherical end thrust bearing -6-, the lower end of said spindle being extended a,short distance below the lower end of the bracket -1 and rigidly secured to the cross-bar of the yoke 8 to turn with the socket -5- without in any way interferring with the free rotarymovement of the roller 10, which is journaled in the opposite arms of the yoke, by means of a spindle 12.

The intermediate portion of the spindle I 9-, preferably near the upper end thereof, is provided with an annular groove -13-,, for receiving the inner end of the detent screw -14, which is engaged in registering, threaded apertures in the adjacent portions of the leg A and bracket -1-, and serves the double purpose of clamping the bracket to the leg and also retaining the spindle -9 in "the socket --5 against downward displacement in case the leg with the caster thereon should be lifted from the floor, without in anyway interfering with the free rotation of the spindle 9- in the socket 5.

An additional clamping screw l5 is engaged in registering threaded apertures in the adjacent portions of the leg -A and bracket -1-, preferably between the clamping bolt l4-- and horizontal flange 4, but as shown more clearly in Figure 4.--, this clamping screw 15 is somewhat shorter than the bolt 14--, to prevent its engagement with the spindle 91w'hen firmly tightened, so as not tointerfere with the free rotation of said spindle in the socket -5-.

It is evident from' the foregoing description that theload of the superstructure upon the legs --A is borne directly by the ledges, or horizontal flanges 4 of the bracket -1-, and is then transmitted through the end thrust' -bearing 6 directly to the is supported upon the floor, while the lateral strains between the leg and bracket are transmitted to the side flanges 3, all of which reduces to a minimum, shearing strains upon the clamping bolts 14 and -15-, and assures sturdy, rigid and reliable connections between the casters and legs.

Furthermore, by attaching the caster in the'manner described, through the medium of the bolts l4- and ,--15, if it should be desired to remove the casters, and to support the machine directly upon the floor as a permanent fixture, it is simply necessary to loosen the screw 1lsufficiently to disengage it from the groove l3, thus permitting the caster to be drawn downwardly from the bracket 1-, whereupon the bolt 14- may be retightened to assist the bolt 1: in securing a rigid connection between the bracket and leg, and, after the casters have been removed, the lower faces of the brackets -1- may rest dl-l rectly upon the floor.

l/Vhat I claim is:

A caster attachment for channel-iron legs comprising an upright bracket having a lengthwise channel in one side open at the top and closed at the bottom for receiving and supporting the leg, said bracket having a lengthwise socket open at the bottom and closed at the top, the channeled portion of the bracket being extended upwardly beyond the closed end of the socket, a caster having a spindle journaled in the socket and against the closed top thereof and provided with an annular groove, and clamping bolts engaged in threaded openings in the bracket one above the other and radial to said socket for clamping the leg in the chana nel of the bracket, one of said bolts being extended into the annular groove of the spindle.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th da of July, 1922.

J OH N. DER-SCHUG. Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, HOWARD P. DnmsoN. 

